Empowering workers goes digital

Despite the evidence of how it can boost business outcomes, Gallup’s research shows that only 36 per cent of employees reported having a recognition system in their organisation, and just 21 per cent mentioned that monetary rewards were part of this system.

However, research indicates that recognition programs with monetary rewards are 20 per cent more effective in reducing turnover compared to those relying solely on non-monetary recognition.

Frequency and consistency crucial

At its heart, employee recognition is positive feedback focused on an employee’s strengths. It can come from managers or from peers. One thing is certain, for the feedback to be both valued by employees and worth anything to organisations, recognising employees must be done frequently and consistently.

A simple thank you is often enough recognition for people to feel valued. Public acknowledgments at meetings or conferences also boost people’s esteem and helps with motivation.

“People have told us they’ve previously been using human resources platforms and they didn’t feel engaged or they felt it was another task. Now, they say they look forward to using Prezzee Buzz in their Slack or Microsoft Teams channel every day.”

— Harriet Armstrong, global brand and content manager at Prezzee

Now, as technology advances, there has been a shift to running recognition programs through digital platforms that allow employees to send each other kudos and acknowledgments throughout the day.

Some rely on dedicated human resources portals where users need to log in to participate. Others are embedded into the messaging system used by the business, making it a simple step for people to acknowledge each other’s achievements as they occur.

Melissa Klemke, chapter lead, product management at Prezzee, says this shift has already brought enormous changes to the way people engage with recognition programs.

The global digital gifting platform is currently piloting Prezzee Buzz, an innovative rewards and recognition program that is compatible with established Slack or Microsoft Teams environments and delivers Prezzee Smart eGift Cards as the end reward.

“Many of our existing Prezzee business clients wanted a simpler and more efficient method of acknowledging and empowering their employees,” says Klemke.

Like all good ideas, success lies in its simplicity. Prezzee Buzz can be implemented in a matter of hours and while a concierge approach is taken and support is at hand, Klemke says the pilot companies have made the product their own.

“People are really running with it,” she adds. “They love it. We’re hearing stories of people dressing up as bees, appointing a beekeeper as the admin person for the program and creating their own bee-related terminology to it.”

The program is successful because it is a simple idea, says Harriet Armstrong, Prezzee’s global brand and content manager.

“People have told us they’ve previously been using human resources platforms and they didn’t feel engaged or they felt it was another task. Now, they say they look forward to using Prezzee Buzz in their Slack or Microsoft Teams channel every day,” says Armstrong.

Each employee can award a maximum of three bee emojis through the preferred messaging platform per day, for anything for which they want to acknowledge a colleague. Once an employee reaches a certain number of bees, they can redeem them for a Prezzee Smart eGift card.

“We’ve created a thoughtful and easy way for team members to express their thanks, appreciation or recognition for work accomplishments, efforts or milestones, visible to the entire company,” says Armstrong.

And while a financial incentive lies at the core, there is also evidence that people are engaging with it because it’s fun and makes them feel connected across the business.

“It’s really got nothing to do with the gift card. It’s got everything to do with connection and the feeling of joy every day in your workplace,” says Armstrong.

To learn more, visit prezzee.com.au/